24: Comic Con Report

‘24’: Taking the long road back
By Patricia Morris Buckley for GiveMeMyRemote.com

You know all those are burning questions fans of “24” have been wanting to know for six seasons? Many of them were finally answered at a Comic-Con panel that also featured an eight-minute clip from the new “24” prequel, “Exile,” which airs in November.

Here are a few of the burning questions that were answered: How does Jack Bauer get to downtown LA from the valley in 20 minutes? How can Tony, who was killed in Season 6, come back from the dead in Season 7? And when does Jack use the bathroom (or had he just held it for six years!)?

First up, the clip from “Exile” found Jack in South Africa rescuing children who are being recruited as soldiers. There were, of course, all the explosions, guns blasting and people in peril that Jack faces every season, only this time on a street in a small African town. In contrast to the cool blues and silver of CTU, the scenes were filled with the warm yellows and greens of Africa. The ending to the clip had everyone gasping — Jack comes face to face with someone trying to shoot him (doesn’t that describe just about everyone on the show?), only this time it’s a kid holding the gun. What will our Jack — a man of few morals but usually compassionate when comes to children— do?

When the lights came up, executive producer Howard Gordon started the discussion disclosing that “Exile” came about after the 2008 season having been scrapped by the writer’s strike. Fox asked for a two-hour movie, with, which he immediately said “no” to, then thought about it for a moment before changing his mind.

“It grew out of an Africa story that had been previously discarded,” Gordon said. “And it turned out to be a great idea. Season 7 starts with Jack on trial for Season 6. This movie was an emotional bridge that was missing.”

Executive producer Jon Cassar toyed with the idea of Simi Valley doubling for Africa, but then convinced the network to take the cast to Africa. Star and executive producer Kiefer Sutherland applauded the choice, convinced it made a critical difference.

“The writer’s break was unfortunate, but this movie was silver lining,” said Sutherland. “It provided actors with more time than we’ve ever had with ’24.’ We went to Africa with one of the best scripts we’ve ever had. There was no rushing the clock to get it on the air.”

The movie introduces Cherry Jones playing the first female president and Jon Voight, who may or may not being playing a good character, Gordon teased. And then there’s Tony, rising from the dead. The entire panel did a complex tap dance meant to convince fans their questions about how Tony could back to life had been answered. Cassar admitted that Tony has been dead on the page four times, “And I’m looking to killing him again.” (Actor Carlos Bernard got up and slipped a few bucks to Gordon and Sutherland.)

“Resurrecting Tony could well be a measure of our desperation,” Gordon added. “We didn’t love the way he died – he’s too good of a character.”

Sutherland called the way Tony is returned to the land of the living as “clever.” He also came the closest to mentioning the critically trashed last season. “I hope this next season (beginning in January 2009) is the ‘24’ you’ve come to expect. We’re not trying to reinvent the show, just take what you like and make it smarter and tighter. And we’re taking what you didn’t like and getting rid of it.”

Other “24” secrets divulged:

Real guns are used on the show, just modified so they can’t shoot real bullets.

Producers once shot a scene with Jack going to the bathroom for 90 secrets, but it was cut. “So our stock answer is that when we cut to the White House, just know that Jack is either in the bathroom, having a drink, or getting something to eat,” said Sutherland.

Sutherland’s coolest Jack scene so far? “In Season 2 when I cut off that guy’s head.”

How can Jack drive long distance in LA in such a short time span? “Well, we just hope you understand that our 24-hour day is a really, really light traffic day.”

The best story involved Jack’s penchant for saying “dammit” many, many times an episode, which Sutherland explained came about because he wasn’t allowed to swear on network television. “It’s what he says in times of frustration, when he can’t control a teenage daughter or a nuclear explosion — this one word handles it. We only pulled back because it was rumored to have become a drinking game.”

Sutherland ended the panel by thanking the audience for the best experience of his career. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he said. “You guys rock!”